Block-signal system.



No. 851.456. PATENTED APR. 23, 1907. J. VAN ZANDWBGHEGL L. VIBERTI.

BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM.

MPLIOATION FILED MAY 24,1906.

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W/TNESGES Q (lA/afm #14AM-LOI A TTORNE Y S No. 851,456, PATENTBD APR. 23, 1907. J. VAN ZANDWEGHE & L. VIBERTI.

BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24,1906.

2 SEBETS-BHBET 2.

W/TNESSES.'

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UNITED PILTENT OFFICE.

VAN ZANDWEGHE AND LUIS vIBiiRTI, or nosARIo DI; SANTE FE, ARGENTINA.

BLOCK-SIGNAL SYSTEM 'f To, a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it yknown that we, JULIAN VAN ZAND- 'y WEGHE, a citizen of the Kingdom of Belgium, `fand LUIS VIBERTI, a citizen oi' the Kingdom fof Italy, and both residents of Rosario de Santa F, in Argentina, South America, have U invented a new and Improved Bloclvigf nal System, of which the following is a i'ull,

clear, and exact description.

c -Our invention relates to block signal sys vtems, our more particular' objects being to provide e'fiicient means for stopping trains automatically when they approach each other within certain limits, and also for stopping them if desired when they approach a station.

Our invention further relates to certain mechanical details of construction, whereby the above objects are accomplished.

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Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings 'lorining a part ol' this specification, in whichsimilar characters ot reference vindicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a 'diagram showing two locomotives approaching each other and in position to stop automatically because of their proximity to each other 3, Fig. 2 is a diagran'i ff showing a 'locomotive as approaching a station and ready to cause an alarm at that station without causing the locomotive to stop;

Fig. 3 is a 'fragmentary detail section ol the trolley mechanism, carried by the locomotive for supplying current to thesysteni from the wiring; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section oit the valve mechanism carried by -2 each locomotive and operated electrically 4Jfor the purpose ol' stopping the locomotive;

and Fig. "4Q

*free torungupon the traclg 8T tive is provided with a pipe 9 connected ditherethrough; Valve mechanism 10 is conis a diagram showing how the Wiring along the railroad track is divided 'into blocks insulated from each other.

4="The locomotives are shown at 6, 7 and are Each locomorec-tly` witl'ithe boiler and conveying steam i@ jnected with this pipe 9, and from the valve mechanism extends a pipe 11 which by Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led May 24, 1906.. Serial No. 31,490.

Patented April 23, 1907.

may be established from the pipe 9 to the pipe 11. Another valve 15 is adapted to o en and' close communication betweenthe pipe 9 and the pipe 11. 4The valve 15, however, is automatic in its action. It is provided with a stem 16 terminating in a stirrup 17, the stem 16 being encircled by a stuffing lbox 18 whereby it is rendered steamtight. A cam 19 'is mounted upon a stub shaft 2() and is provided with an arm 21. This cam 19 engages the stirrup 17, and when in normal position as indicated in Fig. 4, maintains the valve 15' closed tightly upon its seat. Arms 22, 23 are mounted opposite each other as shown in Fig. 4, the arm 22- carrying a contact sleeve 22a of metal. Ex-

-tending through thisl sleeve is a. spiral spring 24 insulated ytherefrom and connected with a contact niemben 25. A ring 26 of guncotton is connected by a link 26a with the arm 21 and with a wire ring 26h, connected with the arm 23. lVhen the parts are in normal position, the ring 26 of guncotton holds the arm 21 in such position that the valve 15 is pressed tightly upon its seat as indicated in Fig. 4. Within the .ring 26 of guncotton a detonator 27 of predetermined sensitiveness is embedded, for the purpose of exploding the guncotton ring. When the ring explodes it no longer retains the arm 21, and the latterbeing drawn by the spiral spring 24, turns a little and then allows the steam to open the valve 15 and pass through so as to operate the brakes.

Each locomotive 6, l7 is provided with a cab 28, upon the top of which is a bearing plate 29; see Fig. 3. Resting upon this bearing plate is a pedestal 3() secured in position by means of screwbolts 31 and 32. By removing these bolts the pedestal 3() may be' turned around so as to occupy `a reverse position upon the cab. This arrangement is desirable for the purpose otbringing'- the locomotives into shape for running in different directions. For instance, if a locomotive has finished its run, reaching one end of the line, and has started back on the return trip the edestal `30 is turned around as above descii ed. Abearing sleeve 33 engages the bearing plate 29 and also the pedestal 30, serving thus as a sort of pivot upon which thepedestal may turn, theV screwbolts 31, 32 having of course been removed. The trolley pole 34 is pivoted at 35 upon the pedestal 30, and is ten-j,`

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senese sioned by means ofl a .spring36-` A trolley l two locomotives, accompanied by their record 37 is connected with the trolley pole 34 and passes downwardly through slots L in the pedestal 30 and through the bearing sleeve 33, and by pulling upon this trolley cord the trolley pole 34 may be lowered. The trolley pole is provided with a slot 38, and mounted within this slot are rollers 39 and 40 of conduct-ing material. )Pressing upon these rollers respectively are contact leaf springs 41, 42, the two springs `being connected with a wire 43. Insulators 44 and 45 aremounted upon arms 46, the latter being carriedby-posts 47. There are -two rows of these insulators as will be understood trom- Figs. 3 and 5. Wires 48, 49 are by means of insulating sections 50, 51 divided into dis- 6b, a pole changing switch 6c vand a handv59 leads to the detonator 27, and through. this detonator a wire leadsv downwardly and is connected with the Wire 58. A wire tincty blocks which are staggered relatively to each other as indicated in Fig-5. Each locomotive carries a battery 52 and a switch 53 connected by a wire 53a. Each locomotive also carries a ground wire 6?, an electric bell switch 6d, and-a wire 7 C connecting the bell 6band the pole changing switch 6C. From the latter a wire 54 connects with a wire 55, and connected with'the wire 55 is a wire 56 from which a llexibleA Wire connection 57 leads to the contact member 25 as shown in Eig. 4, anda wire 58 is connected withthe contact sleeve 22a. From the wire 55 a wire 61 is connected with the wires 58 and 60.

A station is-shown at the right of Fig'.- 2, and fromthis station a wire 62 connects with 'the line wire 48. The'line'is supported upon insulators 48a, 48". Mounted-within the station and connected with the wire 62 isa switch 63, from which lead wires 64, 65. Connected with'the latter is a bell 66, and

' 4from this bell a wire 67 leads to the ground 'locomotive is ready to travel in a predeter mined direction, as `forinstance, when startl ing out from 'the end ofthe road, the trolley 'mechanism is arranged as shown 1n Fig. 3,

thetrolley pole 34' extending to the right or 'tothe left, as the case may be, according to th'edir'ection in whichlthe locomotive vis to travel. The .polel changing switch 6C isalso ,Y thrown-into proper position, according to the direction of'travel oi the locomotive; For

locomotives traveling"y in one direction the "p'ole'fl changing switches 6c should have the 'position' indicated at the' left 'of lFigs. 1 'and 2,

'iri'rhere'a's'tor traveling inV the yopi^ site direc- `:tion-they should' have the position indicated attire-right o'Fig. 1. Suppose', now-.that

spective trains, are approaching each other. f

Sooner or later they reach such relatiyepositions that they are not more tlian'ti'vo blocks apart. In this event communication is established through either the line 48 or 49 as the case may be. Under no consideration can they come any nearer together than that represented by a distance of atleast half `a block. Arriving within this distance, the lfollowing circuit is completed: ground wire' 6a of locomotive 6, (this wire being preferably grounded through the wheels) bell 6b of that locomotive, wire 7 C, pole changing switch 69, switch 53 (now closed) wire 53a, battery 52, wire 6l, wire 60, d etonator 27, wire 59, wire 55, pole changing switch 6, wire 43 to line 48 (ory 49 asthe case may be), thence'to the other'locomotive, wire 43 .of that locomotive, pole changing switch 6C, switch 53, batteryv 52, wire 61, wire 60, detonator 27 of locomotive 7, wire 59, wire 55, pole changing switch 6C, wire 7 c, bell 6b and ground wire 6a, and thence through the earth to its place of origin. The circuit thus completed causes each of thexde'tonators 27 upon the respective locomotives to explode, and this explosion causes the destruction of the two rings 26 of guncotton. Thev springs 24 y thereupon draw the contact members 25 into engagement with the contactsleeves 22a so as to shortcircuit the wires 59 'and 60, whichl have hitherto been connected by means of the detonator 27. That is to say, the de'. struction of the detonator 27 does not leave the circuit open, Jfor the reason that a shortcircuit consistingoi' the wires56, 57, contact,

members 25, 22a, and the wire 58 may take thev place `of that portion of the circuit repre.-v sented by the detonator 27 and the wires 59 and 60. The contraction of the spring 24,

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and consequent movement of the arm 21 and the cam 19, opens the .valve 15 and allows the steam to rush through to the brakes so as to stop the train as above described. .Each lo.- comotive is automatically stopped in this manner, and at the instant whenfthe stop-4 page takes place the bell 6b uponthe locomotive rings violently.

Suppose, now, that the engineer wishes to merely have his bell sound without having the locomotive stopped automatically. To accomplish this, he l`closes theY switch 6d. The switch-53 having of course been closed at the start, the followingcircuit is now com# pleted whenever the two locomotives are withinfa predetermined distance limit ot each other, to wit ground wire 6a, bell 6b, wire 7 c,

pole changing switch 6C (right hand member) switch 53, wire 53T, batteryy 52, switch 6d, pole changingvswitch 6c (left hand member) wire 43 ot that locomotive, line 48 or 49 to the'other locomotive 7, wire 43 of that locomotive, pole changing switch cjdeit hand member) switch53, wire 53a,y battery 52,

'35' scribed.

l4o. circuit O lows :-line 48, wire 62, switch 63, wire 65, bell v 5' interfering in any way with the action of the* respective locomotives.l -Either or both of the locomotives canabe prepared'to this con- .dtion by merely closing or opening .the

switches 6*?.

opening the switches 53. The bell 66 at the station (say righthand portion of'Fig. 2) may be. of greater sensitiveness than the bells 6b upon' the respective ocomotives. 4Then x this is the case, the locomotive traveling toward the station will ring the bell at that station butwill not be interfered with in the slightest degree. The pole changing switch 69 at the station isshifted into the one or the `3o otherof its two positions for the purpose of stopping the trains traveling in the one or the4 other of two directions. In the position indicatedin-Fig. 2, the pole changing'switch 69v at the station is in proper position to stop the z5 locomotive 6. In order to stop the locomotive the switchr63, however, should be shifted. -The circuit through the locomotives has already been described. Through the station,`however, the circuit is as follows: wire 3948,;wire 62, switch 63, pole changing switch 69,4 (righ-t hand member), wire 72, battery 171, wire 70, pole changing switch 69 (left, hand member) wire 73, and Wire ,6,7 to ground 68. This circuit stops the train as above de- If it 'be desired to merely give warning -to the station agent -as to the approach of the train toward the station, this is accomplished by placing the switch 63 in the position indicated at the right of Fig. 2. The

from the line to the station is as-fol- 66, ground wire 67 'to- 'ground 68. -This 'If it be desired to throw the 'loV signalingapparatus together, this is done by -merely rings the bell atv the station, and as above explained may either stop the train or not, depending upon the relative sensitiveness of the bell 66.

Having thus described our invention, we claims-as new and desire to seeurebvLetters Patent 1.\,In a block signal system, the rcombination of avalve for controlling mechanism for l stopping a train, means for holding said valve in 'a predetermined normal position, spring mechanism connected with said valve for releasing the same, a movable member con- 4nected with said spring mechanism, ,meansfor connecting to said spring mechanism a link of gun cotton for the purpose of temporarily holding saidA spring mechanism-in a predeterminedposition, an electricall -o erated detonator connected with said in( of gun cotton for the purpose of exploding the latter, and electric mechanism controllable by movements of rolling stock for firing saida ldetonator.

2. In a block signal system, the combination of a valve for controlling brake mechanism, a cam for holding said valve in a predetermined position, a spring for turning said cam, means for mounting a member of explosive material so as to hold said cam in another predetermined position, and electrically-operated mechanism controllable by movements or rolling stock for firing said 'member of explosive material.

In testimony Whereoil we.. have signed our names to this specification in the presence of 'two subscribing Witnesses.

JULIAN VAN ZANDWEGHE.

LUIS VIBERTI.

'Witnesses JAMES FnrrzevAN OPPEN, ELIGIO VINEIs. 

